Spice House Gingerbread

It isn’t too late for gingerbread! I had been eying this recipe before the holidays but somehow never got around to making it. I am sorry I waited, it is a real keeper.

A few days ago I realized that both my ginger and ground cloves were too old to use. I grew up in a family where spices were kept in the pantry until they were all used up. They became dusty relics of the past. Some of our spices were, I kid you not, at least ten years old! (I bet my mom is still using spices she has had since the early 90’s.) Now we’re told that spices have a shelf life of about a year and that after that their flavor weakens dramatically. It is true. Believe it. Please believe it.

Fresh spices can make or break a recipe like gingerbread and so it is important to keep your stock as fresh as possible. One economical way of doing this is to buy in bulk. When you buy in bulk you are able to buy small amounts of the things you only use once or twice a year and larger quantities of the spices you use weekly/daily. Chicagoans are lucky to have The Spice House.

The Spice House[1] is another of my favorite sources for food in Chicago. Walking into the small shop you are immediately hit with the aromas of hundreds of different spices. It is a pretty wonderful experience. The shop has a superb staff that is not only very friendly and helpful but also real experts on the spices they sell. You can buy as little as an ounce of a spice or as much as a pound. In addition to being the best quality spices you will find, they are also very reasonably priced. Much cheaper than shopping at a supermarket and much cheaper than any of the brand names that are out there. A couple of months ago I vowed that I would never again buy from anyone other than The Spice House and I am loving that decision. It provides me with an excuse to visit one of my favorite places more often.

With fresh spices in hand, I set out to tackle Ina Garten/James Beard’s gingerbread. This cake will be a huge hit in your house. I sometimes find gingerbread to be a little too heavy and sweet, due in part to the molasses but this cake is brightened considerably by a generous addition of orange zest and an orange and sugar glaze. It is spicy and sweet and pretty close to perfect.

Gingerbread (adapted from an Ina Garten recipe which was adapted from a James Beard recipe)

1/4 cup dark rum

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup unsulfured molasses

1 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup minced dried crystallized ginger

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease an 8×8-inch cake pan and line with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Place the rum and raisins in a small pan, cover, and heat until the rum boils. Remove from heat and set aside. Place the butter and molasses in another small pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Pour the mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cool for 5 minutes, then mix in the sour cream and orange zest.

Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt together in a small bowl. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture and mix only until smooth.

Drain the raisins and add them and the crystallized ginger to the mixture with a spatula. Pour into the prepared pan and bake about 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.

When the cake is cool, whisk the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice together until the desired consistency is reached. Add more sugar or juice to thicken or thin the glaze. Pour over the gingerbread, allowing it to drip down the sides of the cake. Allow glaze to set and then cut into 9 pieces.